365
by Mecca24
Summary: Jongdae forgets a very important date causing a few members to be angry with him. He gets sick in his efforts to make it up to his friends. Now, there is a rift between the members made worse by Jongdae's bad cold. (Please read the author's note.)


**Extremely important Note: Please don't flame! I know I made Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Sehun in a tiny bit mean but they become their regular self and everything is great in the end. I love Chen, so my stories will always revolve around him. Please don't hate me and please don't read if you can't stand the thought of those three being mean. Otherwise, please enjoy!**

Kim Jongdae, main vocalist of EXO and one third of the beagle line, slaved over the kitchen stove as he prepared dinner for the team. He felt bad for missing Sehun's birthday and he could see the younger member, as well as a few of the others, were disappointed in him. It was rare for him to forget a birthday even with their busy schedules. Jongdae didn't have an excuse. He just plain forgot.

Jongdae didn't even think anything of it when Chanyeol and Baekhyun insisted he meet them at their favourite bar for drinks. It was after 12am and Jongdae had just finished a midnight interview at Melon Radio. If he had remembered what day it was, he would've ignored the exhaustion and met them but Jongdae didn't remember and told the boys to leave him out. Even Minseok turned up for a drink before heading back to their apartment building.

It wasn't until the next morning that he remembered what day it was and why the others kept calling him out. Minseok caught the moment he realised and took a picture. He was grinning. "Did you buy him a present?"

Jongdae nodded, "I bought it a month ago. That's why I forgot!" He scratched his head in frustration and then looked at Minseok. "Was he disappointed?"

Minseok shrugged, "A little but the others cheered him up." He nudged his head towards the door. "Give him his present." Jongdae pulled open the bottom drawer of his bedside table and picked up the box. He looked at it hesitantly, not sure about it anymore. He knew at the time Sehun would love it but now, he wasn't so sure because it was coming for him.

"What is it?"

Jongdae shrugged, "Just a necklace." It wasn't just a necklace. There was meaning behind it. "Let's hope he likes it." He got up and brought the box with him.

* * *

After washing up, Jongdae knocked on Junmyeon and Sehun's door. Sehun was all smiles when he opened the door, but it faded when he saw who it was. "Hyung."

"Good morning." Jongdae scratched his head, "Ah…Happy Birthday." He handed Sehun the brown box.

"Ah…he did remember!" Jongdae heard a call from inside the room. Sehun opened the door wider to reveal Baekhyun and Chanyeol on their sleeping bags and Junmyeon on his own messy bed. It looked like Baekhyun and Chanyeol threw everything on his bed to make room for the sleep over. "Too bad he doesn't know what is the most important to Sehun…being together." Chanyeol joined in.

"Shhh!" Junmyeon admonshed them. He could see how bad Jongdae felt and making him feel worse wouldn't help the situation.

Jongdae felt his heart skip a beat at their comments. He was never one to join in on outings because he liked being alone but that didn't mean he didn't like being with the team either. He enjoyed their time together. "I'm sorry I didn't come last night." He said simply. "I hope you like your present."

"Thank you." Sehun nodded and then closed the door.

Jongdae stood there looking at the closed door for a few seconds. Yixing came out of his room and found him like that. He tapped the younger boy on the shoulder. "What are you doing, Jongdae?"

"Hyung!" Jongdae jumped, "Um…nothing. I should get ready for practice." He rushed to his room, leaving Yixing very confused.

* * *

Junmyeon shook his head as Sehun tossed Jongdae's present on the table and jumped onto his bed, moping. "Aren't you going to open your present?" He asked.

Sehun shrugged, "It's usually a voucher or something." The team rarely got time to buy each other presents and that was why getting together for drinks was so important to them.

"Yeah, what could it be, really? He was too busy to come out for drinks, he'd definitely be too busy to go out and buy a present." Chanyeol grinned at Sehun. "Want to go for drinks again, tonight?"

"I don't think so!" Junmyeon stopped them in their tracks. "Our schedules are crammed!"

"Don't be such a damper!" Baekhyun complained.

Junmyeon got off his bed. "Get up and get ready!" He ordered, causing groans around the room.

 **SM Entertainment:**

Practice only went for half a day because halfway through it the power went out. After half an hour of sitting around in the dark, they were told to head to their separate interviews. Jongdae realised something. He wasn't scheduled for any interviews that day. He would've been sitting with his managers, discussing what variety shows he could attend but that was also cancelled. It gave him an idea. Before the team went their separate ways in different cars, Jongdae called out, "Come home for dinner. It's my treat."

Everyone looked at him like he'd gone crazy before they slowly nodded, "Sure." They answered half-heartedly. Baekhyun frowned at him and then shrugged.

"Jongdae," Minseok called to him. "Yixing and I are doing a late night skype interview with YinYueTai. We won't be back until after 11pm."

Jongdae nodded, "Thanks for telling me. I'll leave some food for you both."

Yixing laughed, "You better!"

"Same here." Junmyeon called out to him. "I have an 11 o'clock interview with KBS."

"Okay, hyung."

* * *

 **EXO Apartment building...**

That's what lead to him slaving in the kitchen. He told them he would buy dinner because he wanted to surprise everyone and make up for not turning up the night before. It was rare for him to be cooking but he was very close to his mum and tended to watch her cook. He learned about five of his mum's best recipes before he left for his training, but the schedule was so busy he only managed to cook for himself. This is his first-time cooking for so many people.

The stove was getting crowded with all his pots. This kitchen wasn't made for cooking for a crowd. His arm touched the boiling pot several times, making him hiss but he was so focused on the cooking he didn't stop. He could put cream on it later.

 **7pm…**

Jongdae looked at the table proudly. It was set up for the group. The food was placed in the middle of the table. A large plate of potato noodles, a plate of fried chicken (for Kai), a large pot of spicy bean soup, plates of oyster omelettes and beef bulgolgi (his mother's style).

Jongdae opened the fridge and winced at his attempt at a cake. It was a bit of a mess with the words 'Happy birthday, Sehun,' barely legible. At least it'll make them laugh and it was chocolate, Sehun's favourite.

 **8pm…**

Jongdae looked at his watch and sent a message to Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Jongin and Sehun.

 **9pm…**

He got up and opened a window. The air was chilly tonight but he didn't feel it. The place was still warm from all the cooking.

 **10pm…**

No messages. No phone calls.

 **11pm…**

Jongdae got up and covered the food with cling wrap. He put what he could in the fridge and left the rest out on the table. It was a cold enough night that the food wouldn't go bad. Even if it did, he didn't care and neither would the team. They didn't turn up so why would they care if the food went to waste.

Jongdae went upstairs to his room. There was a pressure in his chest that he didn't like. He wasn't one to get emotional or take anything personally. It's why his managers sent him onto shows that are known to be cut-throat because they knew he could handle himself. This was different though. He didn't care if he was teased or made fun-of on those shows because they didn't know him and he didn't know them well. He just needed to be polite to get through the hour but this was their home. How could he not take this personally? He understood that they were angry at him. He forgot Sehun's birthday and being Sehun, he liked having all his hyungs with him. Maybe they were teaching him a lesson. Maybe they wanted him see how it felt to be stood up. It didn't feel good, especially when they all stood him up. He sighed and grabbed his toiletry and pyjamas to wash up and get ready for bed.

* * *

 **1 am…**

Minseok and Yixing were the first to return. The living room lights were off. "Early night?" Minseok frowned at the lack of voices. It was strange for the apartment to be quiet so early. Especially if they had dinner at home.

"I can smell beef!" Yixing turned on the lights. Minseok laughed at his hungry expression. The beef bulgolgi and noodles were on the table. "I'm starving! They must know how much I like beef, because they left a lot."

Minseok nodded, but he could feel something was off. "I'll get the rice. Do you want a beer?"

"Yes please!" Yixing peeled back the plastic wrap and pulled out a beef with his hands. "Mmmm...I"m going to have to ask where he got this from." He assumed it was take-out.

Minseok frowned at all the large pots and pans on the counter before he opened the fridge. His eyes widened at the amount of food in there. "Um…Yixing?"

"Hmmm?" Yixing came over to see what was so interesting. In the fridge was a large pot of soup, fried chicken and omelettes. "These aren't leftovers." He realised.

Minseok shook his head and looked around. "And they're not take-out."

Yixing turned to where Minseok was looking. He didn't even know they had such large pots in the kitchen. "He cooked?"

"Yeah, and he's pretty good at it. He cooked for me once in China." Minseok laughed, "We got in trouble for cooking in our dorm."

"When was this? Why don't I remember?" Yixing narrowed his eyes at Minseok, "Why wasn't I invited?"

"It was during the Moon festival. All of you went home for one night so Jongdae and I celebrated in my room." Minseok smiled at the memory. "We bought a portable stove and a small hotpot. It was fun."

Yixing sighed as he looked around the kitchen. It was clean. Everything was washed. "This would've taken him hours."

Minseok nudged his chin up the stairs. "Do you think he's asleep?"

Yixing shrugged, "Let's go check. Let him know we're here."

* * *

Minseok opened the door a crack and peeked inside. The room was dark. He opened the door wider and snuck in, quietly turning on his bedside table. They smiled at how peacefully Jongdae seemed to be sleeping. They were about to leave when something on Jongdae's arm caught Minseok's eye. "What's that?" Minseok gently sat down on Jongdae's bed to examine his forearm.

"What is it?" Yixing asked as he leaned over to take a look. "Ah…" He could see it now. "He must've burned himself. Looks nasty. I'll get the burn cream." Minseok nodded gratefully.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come home in time. Food looks great." Minseok whisper quietly to his friend. Jongdae must be exhausted from cooking all day and waiting all night for his friends to return.

"Here." Yixing handed Minseok the cream and then saw Jongdae's phone on his bedside table. He was curious if any of the others had messaged to say they weren't coming home for dinner. EXO members knew each other's lock-code because they never kept secrets. He unlocked the phone and swiped through the messages.

Minseok gently applied the cream to Jongdae's arm and opened a bandage to cover it. Feeling better he got up to find Yixing looking at Jongdae's phone. It was rare to see Yixing angry. "What's wrong?" Yixing glared at him before pulling him out of the room, taking Jongdae's phone with them.

"Jongdae texted them all three times and didn't get a reply." He showed Minseok the phone. "Look. None of them called or texted to say they weren't coming home. Jongdae did all this for nothing!"

Minseok shook his head, disappointed in his friends. "Jongdae forgets one birthday gathering and this is what happens. I thought we were more understanding than that."

Yixing pulled out his phone, about to call Kyungsoo because he was usually the most mature of them all and he didn't think he would do this to Jongdae, when Kyungsoo dragged himself up the steps, exhausted.

Kyungsoo returned from a late night at the production studio. They had a last-minute change in the casting for his latest movie and needed to have a quick read-through before they started shooting. He paused at the top of the steps when he saw Minseok and Yixing staring at him, unimpressed. "Where the hell is everyone?"

Kyungsoo frowned at the angry tone. He was confused. "Weren't they here for dinner?"

"Weren't you with them?"

Kyungsoo nodded, "But I only had one drink with them before I was called by my producer. We had to have a read-through. I told them to tell Jongdae I couldn't make it."

"Aigoo!" Yixing dropped into one of the seats at the dining table. "You didn't get his text message?"

"Ah! I forgot to turn my phone back on." Kyungsoo pulled it out and turned it on. "Why are you interrogating me? I didn't want to miss dinner."

Minseok waved his hand at him, apologetically, "Sorry. We didn't mean to be rude but nobody turned up for dinner."

"What? Why?" Kyungsoo sighed at the ten messages he got. Three were from Jongdae asking when they would be coming home, the others were pictures from the younger members, having a good time at the bar. "Ah…damn it." The last photo was posted just a minute ago. It would be a while before they get home. "I'm sure the food will keep, right?"

Minseok shook his head, "Look at the kitchen. Yeah, the food will keep but his effort is wasted."

Kyungsoo looked around the kitchen and then opened the fridge, coming to the same conclusion Minseok and Yixing did. "He cooked for us." He grabbed a beer and dropped into the seat next to Minseok. "I don't think they would've missed dinner if they knew Jongdae would be cooking." He tried to defend the others but he knew it was a thin defence.

"We need to have a good talk with those four." Minseok looked at the beef and noodles on the table. "Let's eat some. We're all hungry, right?"

The other two nodded, "I'll heat some up for us." Kyungsoo offered as he got up to get the plates.

* * *

They had just finished their plates when Junmyeon came home. He was tired and hungry. He wasn't surprised at seeing Minseok, Yixing and Kyungsoo at the dinner table. They had a late night as well. "How's the dinner?" He grinned at them as he got his plate in anticipation of the great smell coming from the food.

"Really good. Jongdae did a good job."

Junmyeon laughed at them. "I'm sure he did a good job ordering the food." He frowned when nobody said anything. He then narrowed his eyes at the kitchen counter. "Why are all these pots out? Since when do we use them? I don't even know why we have them." They just looked at him, letting him work it out on his own. His eyes widened when he did. "Jongdae cooked all this?"

"Ne." The three answered him.

"I hope the others did the cleaning then." Junmyeon was impressed. He knew Jongdae could cook but he was never very enthusiastic about it, not like Kyungsoo. He was confused when Yixing sighed loudly. "What's wrong with you guys? Go to sleep if you're tired."

"Jongdae did all the cleaning as well."

"He must be feeling really guilt…" His voice faded at the amount of food left over in the fridge and on the table. "Did anyone come home for dinner?" Kyungsoo shook his head.

Junmyeon's expression changed. He was not happy. "I know they're young but they're not thoughtless!" He pulled out his phone and called Baekhyun's number. It was answered only after one ring.

" _Hyung!"_ Junmyeon sighed at the greeting. Baekhyun wasn't drunk but the night was clearly not over for them. _"Are you coming to join us?"_

"Baekhyun," Junmyeon's voice was serious. "Get yourself and the others back home now."

" _What? Why?"_

"Just do it." Junmyeon ordered before hanging up. He no longer had an appetite.

* * *

Baekhyun was feeling guilty on the drive home. The van was quiet. They were all feeling bad because they all ignored Jongdae's message. Nobody thought anything of it at the time because it was just take out. He didn't understand why Jongdae wanted them to stay home on Sehun's birthday. He knew Sehun liked hanging out with his brothers. They could always pay Jongdae back for the food or have it for breakfast. That's what they were all telling themselves anyway to make themselves feel better for ditching Jongdae. He had ditched them the night before too.

* * *

Baekhyun, being the eldest of the group, lead the way up the stairs. He knew they were in big trouble as soon as he saw the four people at the dining table. Baekhyun put on a nervous smile and went straight into talking them out of trouble. "Before you get angry, we know it was wrong of us to not come home for dinner but it's just take-out, right? It'll keep for tomorrow and Sehun really didn't want to stay home for his birthday. He is the birthday boy after all. Shouldn't he get a say in how wants to celebrate his birthday?" Chanyeol nodded his agreement, vigorously.

Sehun had both hands in his pocket, "I wanted to have drinks at the bar."

Junmyeon nodded, "I know, but why didn't you call to say you weren't coming home or tell Jongdae that you had other plans?" He pointed at the kitchen and at the food on the table. "Does it look like take-out?"

Jongin was walking around the kitchen, eyeing the pots and pans. He opened the fridge and cursed. "Sehun." He turned to the maknae, "He baked you a cake."

"And he cooked everything himself." Minseok told them. "It's not take-out."

Jongin winced at the effort that showed all over the kitchen. He scratched his head, "a-sssiii." They were acting immature when they got angry at Jongdae for not showing up for Sehun last night. "Where is he?" He wanted to apologise.

"Asleep. He's exhausted after cooking all day." Yixing added to their guilt.

Sehun pulled out the cake. "This cake is really ugly." He said affectionately. "I love it." He scooped out a little from the side. "It tastes really good." It didn't. It was bitter. Jongdae must have added too much cocoa powder but it didn't matter because Sehun could feel the love he put into the entire dinner. "It really is good." His voice cracked from the lump in his throat. Jongin rubbed his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

Junmyeon knew there was no need to say anymore. He could see the four men punishing themselves already. "Go to sleep and make it up to Jongdae in the morn…"

"What are you all doing?"

* * *

Jongdae woke up feeling strange. It was hot in the room. _Did Minseok come in and turn on the heat?_ He thought to himself. His throat was dry and sore, wincing at the pain when he swallowed. "Oh crap..." He pushed himself off the bed to go to the kitchen. He needed to take some vitamins or medicine otherwise he would be feeling worse in the morning. It was strange seeing everyone in the kitchen in the middle of the night. His mind was barely functioning to register that someone was talking. "What are you all doing?" He mumbled as he shuffled to the kitchen.

"Jongdae." Junmyeon was shocked as Jongdae stumbled past him.

Minseok and Yixing got off their seats. "What are you doing up?"

Jongdae didn't hear the question as he opened the cupboards looking for something. Minseok was beginning to wonder if Jongdae was sleep walking. "Jongdae, what are you looking for?"

"I have a sore throat." He told them, sleepily. "Need some medicine." He got on his toes when he found what he needed but lost his balance as he tried to reach for the medicine box and stumbled backwards. Jongin caught him before he could fall.

"I'll get it for you, hyung." Jongin frowned at the heat coming off his friend. "I think you should get back to bed." He led Jongdae to Minseok and put a hand to his own head, silently telling Minseok that Jongdae had a fever.

Minseok sighed at Jongdae's glazed eyes and felt his brow. "You're getting sick."

Jongdae rolled his eyes at him, "Why do you think I'm looking for medicine? I don't have a drug problem."

Minseok chuckled at Jongdae's expression, "Of course not."

Jongdae forgot he was in a room full of his teammates. He pouted, the way he did with the eldest of the group because Minseok was the only one who really responded to his aegyo. "They must be really angry at me, hyung. No one came home." He dropped his forehead against Minseok's shoulder.

Minseok brought his hand up and cupped the back of Jongdae's head, "They're not angry." He looked around at the devastated expression of the four friends. "They'll come to their senses. I promise."

"Ssin-daeng…" Baekhyun mumbled under his breath.

Jongdae lifted his head, frowning, "You shouldn't swear."

Yixing choked on a laugh. Sehun may be the youngest but when Jongdae got like this, nobody could beat his aegyo. He swung his arm around Jongdae's shoulder and turned him in the direction of his bedroom. "Let's get you back into bed." Jongin handed Yixing the medicine box. Yixing nodded his thanks. He and Minseok slowly walked him back to the room, keeping him between them, protecting him.

"Ahhh!" Chanyeol rubbed his face as he dropped into the couch. "We're the biggest jerks!"

Junmyeon sighed. What could he do? They were already feeling bad enough. "Go to bed. Make it up to Jongdae when he's feeling better." He took Sehun by the shoulders and pushed him towards their rooms, "Come on."

The others followed suit. There wasn't much they could do now except wait for morning.

* * *

Sehun sat down at his table and stared at the brown box sitting on his table. "Open it." Junmyeon encouraged him. Sehun pulled the light blue ribbon and lifted the lid, setting it aside. There was crepe paper under the lid. He removed that, revealing a charm on dark brown leather. He frowned at the circular charm. There were numbers and letters on it that made no sense at first until it clicked what they were; 37.5207° N, 127.1215° E. "GPS coordinates?" Sehun turned on his tablet and typed the coordinates in.

"Seoul Olympic Park." Junmyeon smiled, knowing what that meant. "Our debut stage."

Sehun turned the pendant around. "03312012170348." He smiled at the string of numbers. Jongdae knew how much he loved Junmyeon's speech at the MAMA awards in 2013 and hence did the same thing but with their debut date. March 3rd, 2012, 5.03pm and 48 seconds. "He remembered the exact time we stepped onto the stage."

Junmyeon shook his head, "And he said I was embarrassing." He massaged Sehun's shoulders, "He didn't forget your birthday."

Sehun wiped away the tear that dropped, "No, I forgot what a good big brother he is."

"Jongdae will be fine." Junmyeon grabbed his pyjamas for his shower and walked out, leaving the youngest to admire his present.

* * *

Minseok placed a cooling pad across Jongdae's forehead and checked his temperature with the thermometer. It read; 38.9. "That's very high."

"It should go down now that he's taken the medicine." Yixing assured the eldest.

"Yeah, I know." Minseok knew he was only worried about Jongdae because of what happened. He would get over his cold.

"We should get some sleep as well. We're not lucky enough to have another half a day off tomorrow."

Minseok nodded, "Yeah, alright."

* * *

Baekhyun sat on his bed, listening to music when a ball of paper came flying at him. He grabbed it and threw it back at Chanyeol, not in the mood for his antics. "Baekhyun!" Chanyeol called in a loud whisper.

Baekhyun pulled off his earphones. "What is it?!"

"Do you think Jongdae is angry with us?" Chanyeol asked. He hated feeling guilty.

Baekhyun sighed, "He's not angry with us. That's the problem."

Chanyeol dropped back onto his bed, "Yeah, he thinks we're still angry with him."

"I'm such a jerk." Baekhyun covered his face with his pillow. "It was one night of drinks. He's missed so many. What's the big deal?"

"He usually doesn't miss our birthday drinks." Chanyeol reasoned.

"Ahhhhh!" Baekhyun screamed into the pillow and shot up. "This is Jongdae. Who cares if he missed one? When did I get so petty?"

Chanyeol sighed loudly, "Make it up to him." He groaned to himself, "How?"

"What else can we do? It's not like we can turn back time." Baekhyun hated himself. This wasn't how EXO worked. They were a family who took care of each other. They were rarely this petty and even when they were, it was spilled out over drinks. Never have they done this to a member before. "Miande, Jongdae."

* * *

Minseok woke up early the next morning. He looked over at Jongdae and saw Jongdae still asleep. He crept over and gently sat on the edge of the bed, careful of waking his friend up. He laid a hand against Jongdae's brow. It was a relief to find the fever wasn't as high. Feeling satisfied that Jongdae seemed better he got up to get ready for the day, letting Jongdae sleep for another hour or so. They had a day of practice today. Jongdae needed as much rest as he could get.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to find Sehun at his door when he opened it. Minseok knew the boy must be feeling extremely guilty for the way he treated Jongdae. He sighed and closed the door quietly. "His fever is down but we should let him sleep a little longer. He's tired." Sehun shuffled on his feet as he fiddled with the charm around his neck. Minseok squinted at it, "Is that Jongdae's present?" Sehun nodded. The boy still hadn't said a word. Minseok smiled, "It suits you. What do the numbers mean?"

Sehun felt the engravings with the tips of his fingers. "It's a special place." He said before walking back to his room, looking even more down than he did before.

The eldest shook his head at the retreating figure. He knew he was right to not let Sehun in the room but he felt like he had just kicked a puppy. He sighed, deciding to wash up instead of chasing after the maknae.

* * *

When Minseok came out of the bathroom he found Baekhyun and Chanyeol standing at his door. "He's fine." Minseok called out quietly, startling them. He chuckled at their expressions. "His fever's gone down, so don't worry so much."

Baekhyun nodded, "That's good." His tone of voice didn't match the words. "Is he awake?"

Minseok shrugged, "He wasn't when I left to have my shower." He sighed at their long faces and growled, "Let's go…" The two beagles perked a little, "but if he's asleep, don't you dare wake him." Baekhyun and Chanyeol nodded. Minseok quietly turned the handle and popped his head in. To his relief, it seemed Jongdae was still sleeping soundly. He pushed the door all the way to let the other two in but they stayed at the door, looking at Jongdae.

As much as Baekhyun wanted to go in, Jongdae looked so peaceful, he didn't want to interrupt his sleep, "We'll talk to him when he wakes up." Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol and pulled him back to their room. Minseok shook his head, not looking forward to the day. It was going to be awkward between the younger members now.

* * *

It was another half an hour before Jongdae's alarm clock sounded. Jongdae groaned as he rolled over to turn off the clock. "Good morning!" Came a way too cheery voice. He turned to look for his roommate and found his way too cheery face. Minseok was already dressed in his practice gear.

Jongdae groaned and pulled the quilt over his head. "It's not!"

Minseok laughed at what a kid Jongdae was being but he was also worried because Jongdae was their morning star. He loved waking up in the morning. Minseok walked over and tugged at the quilt, "Come on. It's time to get up."

Jongdae peeked over the edge of the quilt. Minseok couldn't see his mouth but he knew his best friend was pouting. "Five minutes?" Minseok chuckled as he reached out to check his temperature again. "I'm fine. Just tired." Jongdae tried to reassure his friend but knew Minseok wouldn't take him at his word.

"Your fever was pretty high last night."

"I'm okay now." And just to prove it, Jongdae pushed the covers off and sat up. "I'm just tired from yesterday."

Minseok tilted his head, "That was a lot of food to cook on your own. Why didn't you tell us?"

Jongdae shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, "It was a surprise for, and an apology to, Sehun for his birthday." He winced, "Guess they were still too angry to come home just because I asked. What time did they get home?" He chuckled at Minseok's confused frown, "Did they come home last night?"

It seemed like Jongdae didn't remember waking up last night to get medicine. Maybe he really was sleep walking. Minseok wondered if he should say something. He opted not to because he wanted the five of them to resolve this on their own. The other four needed to make it all right with Jongdae. "Yeah, they came home." He tapped Jongdae's leg. "Get up and get changed. Junmyeon already left with Yixing, Kyungsoo and Jongin. Minwook is ready with the second van."

Jongdae groaned, unsure of who he would be traveling to the studio with. He didn't know how he should be acting with them, then he looked at Minseok who was just smiling at him and he knew it would be okay. "Alright."

* * *

Jongdae sat in the front seat of the back of the car. He closed his eyes, already feeling tired. He wondered if he should have told their manager he wasn't feeling well. All eyes in the car were on him, he could feel them but he couldn't see that they were worried gazes not angry glares.

Minseok reached over and tapped his shoulder, "Hey," he called, "Are you okay?" He was asking more for the others than himself. They looked so worried it hurt.

Jongdae smiled at him, "Yeah, I'll be fine once we start practice. Just need to get into it."

Minseok nodded and waited for Jongdae to close his eyes again before turning to the others. "Don't worry." He mouthed to them but knew it didn't ease their concern. They didn't take their eyes off Jongdae.

* * *

At first Jongdae thought he was right; it felt good to start their practice but after a couple of hours of rigorous dancing his body started aching. Junmyeon worried when Jongdae rolled his shoulders and neck, rubbing them to ease the ache. He grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and pulled it forward when their teacher called for a break. "Jongdae, sit down." Junmyeon tapped the chair's backrest.

Jongdae lowered his drink bottle after taking a couple of mouthfuls and walked over to his leader, frowning, "Why?"

"Because you look ready to drop." Junmyeon answered bluntly. He grabbed a bottle out of his own bag. It was one of his vitamins. "Take these." His leader shook out two vitamins. He didn't like taking medicine unless it was really necessary.

Jongdae took the capsules and washed them down with his water bottle, "Thanks." He was about to get back up, not understanding why Junmyeon needed him to sit down to take vitamins when Junmyeon started massaging his shoulders and neck. He closed his eyes and groaned at the relief on his muscles. "Gomawo."

* * *

Baekhyun watched Jongdae from the other side of the room. He worried that Jongdae wasn't getting better and he could tell the rest of the team were thinking the same thing. Judging by the red, flushed cheeks, Jongdae's fever was rising again. "He needs to go home." Baekhyun whispered.

"So, let's tell Hyunkyun and take him home." Sehun was about to get up to do exactly that but was pulled back by Kyungsoo.

"Jongdae won't let you make him go home. He's the most stubborn out of all of us." Kyungsoo told him.

"He needs to decide that on his own." Chanyeol agreed.

"But he's stubborn!" Sehun hissed, "He's not going to go home on his own."

Yixing got up. "I'll talk to him. He usually listens to me."

"And me." Minseok walked over with Yixing.

"It'll take both of them to convince him." Jongin was doubtful. A sick Jongdae was even more stubborn than a healthy one.

* * *

Jongdae narrowed his eyes at the two approaching figures. He knew what they were going to say. "I'm fine." He growled at them, daring them to come closer.

Minseok chuckled. He enjoyed taking care of his friend when he was sick. Jongdae was even cuter than their maknae when he was unwell. "I'm sure you are." He grinned as he knelt in front of his friend with Yixing. He looked up at Junmyeon who shook his head, disagreeing with Jongdae's self-assessment.

"I am!" Jongdae argued like a five-year-old.

Yixing tried to hold back his amusement, coughing into his hand to wipe away his smile before he spoke seriously, "You're arguing when hyung is agreeing with you."

Jongdae pouted. He could tell he was about to fall into a trap. "That's because he thinks I'm sick." A small tickle started in his throat making him give a small cough.

"How are your aches and pains?"

"How did you know…" Jongdae drifted off. He knew they were trapping him. "You're ganging up on me."

Yixing smiled, sympathetically. "You're sick."

"It's not that bad." Jongdae whined.

"Junmyeon can feel the heat." Minseok told him.

Jongdae hung his head back, glaring at his leader upside down. "Traitor!"

Junmyeon couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't say a word!"

* * *

Baekhyun grinned at how childish Jongdae was being. It was fun to watch. Even Sehun smiled at the conversation going on across the room. "They really do have a way with him."

Kyungsoo nodded, "Yixing told me that it was his and Minseok's job to take care of Jongdae in China."

"Yeah, but it requires both of them." Chanyeol chuckled.

"I don't see Jongdae Hyung sick often. I didn't know he was such a baby." Jongin laughed.

They were smiling and laughing quietly when Baekhyun saw Jongdae look over at him. He was surprised at how sad and…guilty…Jongdae looked.

* * *

Jongdae looked away as soon as Baekhyun caught him looking at them. He saw the way they were laughing and talking, acting like he didn't exist. "Maybe I should go." Jongdae told his brothers. "I don't think I'm welcomed here anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Yixing turned to where Jongdae was looking before. He could see the devastation in their expressions. Jongdae was speaking softly but it was clear he wasn't soft enough. "This is our practice studio. You belong here."

Jongdae coughed into his sleeves. This time it was longer and louder. Minseok sighed, "You really are getting sick. I'll call our manager to drive you home."

"Okay." Jongdae croaked.

Yixing sighed. That was too easy. Whatever Jongdae thought was going on, on the other side of the room, it was enough to convince him to leave. He also knew if Jongdae wasn't ailed by his fever, he would be able to see that the others weren't angry at him. He would have seen the guilt. "Go lie down on the couch."

Jongdae looked over at the one couch in the room. It was where the others were sitting. "I'm comfortable here."

Chanyeol stood quickly and pulled Jongin with him. "Let's go get a drink." He dragged Jongin out the door while Baekhyun nudged Sehun.

"Show me the moves in the chorus again. I'm having trouble with it." He got up and gestured for Sehun to follow him.

"I'll spot you." Kyungsoo joined them.

Junmyeon smiled. They weren't very subtle but Jongdae was too sick to see through it. If he wasn't sick he would've been suspicious about Baekhyun having trouble with the dance. Baekhyun rarely had trouble with dance moves. "Come on." He gently pushed Jongdae from behind as Minseok pulled him up by the arm. Despite their help, Jongdae stumbled into Minseok's arms. The room was spinning causing him to lose his footing.

"A-siii!" Minseok swore as he wrapped his arms around his friend, holding him until he could stand himself.

"You're swearing a lot lately." Jongdae mumbled, pulling away from Minseok, "It's a bad habit." He admonished.

Minseok narrowed his eyes at him, "How do you remember that and nothing else?" He turned to Junmyeon and Yixing who were stifling their laughter. "It wasn't even me last night!"

"What are you talking about?" Jongdae started towards the couch on his own, leaving a very confused and annoyed friend to follow him. He dropped onto the couch and curled up, falling asleep within seconds.

"Ahhh…" Yixing smiled affectionately at his friend, "Have you called Hyunkyun manager yet?"

Junmyeon shook his head, "He's in a meeting."

"That's okay. He's comfortable enough here." Minseok grabbed his jacket and laid it over Jongdae. "If he wakes up we'll call again."

"How is he?" Junmyeon jumped at the voice behind him. The others were standing quietly behind them. "Give a guy a warning next time!" He hissed at them, then sighed, "He'll be fine. It's just a cold."

Yixing turned to them, "The fever's not letting him think straight. Let him rest."

"Ye, we will." Kyungsoo promised.

Junmyeon swung his arm over Kyungsoo's shoulder, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Kyungsoo was innocent in all this. If the production company hadn't called him, he would've come home and probably convinced the others to do the same. Kyungsoo had a way about him. Everyone was a little scared of him. "Teacher's going to be back soon so let's get ready."

"Isn't the music going to be too loud for him?" Jongin asked, worried.

"We can practice without the music." Junmyeon told them.

"How about…"

"Aigoo!" Junmyeon cursed softly, "Stop worrying. After practice, we'll take him home. You're going to drive me crazy." He shoved them all to the middle of the room.

Minseok tucked the jacket around Jongdae's shoulders before joining the others.

* * *

 **Three hours later…**

Sehun was preoccupied during the practice. His mind was on the morning of his birthday. He didn't know he was so petty until that day. _What a day to find out my flaws?_ "Aigoo!" Chanyeol growled at Sehun when he went the wrong way again and slammed into him…again. "Pay attention!"

"Ye…ye…miande." Sehun bowed for the umpteenth time to Chanyeol and the teacher.

The teacher sighed and rolled his eyes, "Let's start from the chorus." He played the music again. This time Sehun tripped over his own feet and hit the floor hard on his back.

"Ahhh…" Sehun groaned.

* * *

Jongdae jolted awake at the loud thump. At first, he thought it was someone slamming the door when he lifted his head and saw Sehun on the floor with the others surrounding him. "Sehun!" Jongdae scrambled off the couch, stumbling over to Sehun. "Sehun!" Minseok caught Jongdae before he could fall to the floor. He lowered Jongdae next to Sehun. "What happened?" The team watched as Jongdae checked Sehun, up and down, frantically feeling for his injuries. "Are you hurt? Where?"

Sehun watched his brother closely. Jongdae always worried about the younger members. The only reason why he went out with them was to keep an eye on them. He didn't realise until later how much that meant. Jongdae liked having time to himself but instead he chose to watch over them. Sehun pushed himself all the way up. He wasn't hurt, just shocked at hitting the floor so hard. His eyes teared up. "I'm okay, hyung." He quickly wiped away his tears before Jongdae saw them. "I'm not hurt." Jongdae looked at him. The concern he saw there was overwhelming. "I'm fine." He quickly got up and rushed out of the room before he lost all composure. Junmyeon followed him.

Jongdae's eyes followed him until the door closed. He dropped back onto the floor, exhausted after the sudden burst of energy. He felt despair in his chest as Sehun rushed to get away from him. _Does he hate me that much?_ Jongdae leaned back. He knew it was Minseok he felt at his back. He turned so that he could lean further into his best friend. He wanted to feel the warmth of his friendship. It was something he could always count on. "I want to go home."

Minseok looked up at his teacher as he rubbed his hand up and down Jongdae's arm. His friend was trembling. The teacher nodded, giving his permission to call it a day. "Let's go." Yixing helped Minseok pull Jongdae to his feet.

Kyungsoo and the others followed slowly behind them. He pulled out his phone. "I'm calling our doctor."

"Yeah, he's going to need antibiotics." Chanyeol sighed.

* * *

Sehun splashed his face with water in the bathroom. He hated losing control but seeing Jongdae like that made him hate himself even more.

Junmyeon locked the door to the bathroom and leaned against it, waiting for Sehun to regain his composure. He waited until Sehun's breathing even out before he spoke. "You can't put this behind you if you don't forgive yourself. Jongdae's not even mad at you."

Sehun glared at him, "That's the problem!"

Junmyeon shook his head, "No, the problem is you. If you would talk to him rather than run away, this would all blow over."

"I don't know what to say to him." Sehun's hand came up to his pendant, "I don't even know why I was so angry at him for not coming out for drinks. It's just drinks!"

"It's in the past, Sehun. Nothing good ever came from dwelling in the past. Jongdae was just doing what he does best in there. He's being Jongdae." Junmyeon stepped over to his best friend, "If you keep avoiding him, he's going to think you're never going to forgive him."

"What?" Sehun didn't understand. Jongdae didn't do anything wrong.

"Aiya!" Junmyeon didn't realise how dense Sehun could be, "He's got a fever. He doesn't remember what happened last night." He pointed at the door, "Do you think he thinks you ran out because you felt guilty? No way! He thinks you're still angry at him!" Sehun hung his head back. Everything he was doing since his birthday was wrong. Every choice he made was wrong. "Look at that pendant around your neck. It tells you how much EXO means to him. It tells you how much you mean to him! He's not going to let one dinner destroy that and neither should you!" He sighed when he wasn't getting through his guilt-ridden friend. There was only one person he would listen to but this was the same person he couldn't even look in the eyes let alone talk to. Junmyeon wanted to stay in there until he convinced Sehun to talk to Jongdae but his phone beeped. He took it out and read the message from Baekhyun. "They're taking Jongdae home. Let's go. Practice is canceled for the rest of the day." He took Sehun by the arms and pulled him out behind him.

* * *

By the time they got Jongdae back to their apartment building, the fever was raging. Junmyeon was close to calling an ambulance but his manager made him hold off. The doctor was almost there and an ambulance at EXO's apartment will be a media circus.

"Ayi…" Minseok laid a cooling pad across Jongdae brow while Kyungsoo wiped a cool towel over his neck and cheeks. "Jongdae ah…are you really going to let a little cold get the better of you."

Jongdae started tossing his head from side to side, "Miande…miande…" He mumbled, feverishly.

"Where's that damn doctor?!" Baekhyun looked at his watch, cursing. "What's the big deal if we take him to the hospital? It's not like he'll be there because he overdosed!" Jongdae's brow furrowed at the angry voice.

"Baekhyun." Junmyeon, who was standing at the foot of the bed, warned, "He can sense your anger."

Baekhyun had more to say but he bit his tongue because he could see how distressed Jongdae was becoming. He turned when he heard the door open. "About damn time." He whispered, then started herding everyone out, leaving Junmyeon and Minseok in the room. They all waited outside as patiently as they could for the doctor to come out.

* * *

Minseok gently shook Jongdae awake so Dr Li could start his examination. He piled a couple of pillows behind him so he didn't have to hold himself up.

Jongdae felt terrible. His lungs felt restricted. He was cold and yet wouldn't stop sweating. All his muscles ached. He gasped when the cold stethoscope touched his skin, thrusting him into a coughing fit. Dr Li didn't need to listen to his chest after that. It was clear there was congestion there. He checked Jongdae's temperature.

Junmyeon could tell by the look on the doctor's face that he wasn't happy with what he was seeing. "How bad is it?"

Dr Li sighed, "Well, it's not good. He's dehydrated for one. The fever is 39.1. I'm going to start an IV to help with both."

"It's that bad. Shouldn't he go to the hospital then?" Minseok looked down at his friend who now had his head on his shoulder.

"I know it sounds bad but I'm also being cautious. Jongdae can probably fight this on his own but your schedules are taxing on all of you. This will help him fight it as well as make his rest more comfortable." Dr Li said all this while preparing the IV. He handed the bag to Junmyeon, "Can you find a place to hang this?"

Junmyeon took a picture frame off the wall and threaded the hook into the hole in the IV bag. He smiled at the picture he was holding. It was of the entire team after they won their first daesang. Jongdae said he always had mixed feelings whenever he looked at the picture. He said it kept him humble because when you're on top of the world, like they were that day, there was only one way to go. It also reminded him that happy moments had to be cherished because they relied on them to get through the bad times. This was their first and last daesang as a group of twelve. The year that followed was bad but they got through it together and were stronger for it. It also reminded him that if they could get through that, they could get through anything, including what they were going through now.

"I'm adding a light sedative to help him rest comfortably." The doctor said as he injected the sedative into the IV line. "I'll have my assistant send over anti-biotics later today. Give it to him twice a day until they're finished." He checked Jongdae's pulse before he packed his things. "Keep him elevated. It'll help him with his breathing."

* * *

Junmyeon saw the doctor out and then returned to tell the team everything the doctor told him. He was surprised at how calm they were. No one bombarded him with questions or rushed into the room. However, they looked tired and deflated. "Get yourselves together." He ordered, "We have a day of interviews tomorrow. If you can't do it for yourselves then do it for Jongdae. You know he'll blame himself if you don't perform well tomorrow."

Chanyeol sighed, "Ye, don't worry, hyung. We'll be fine tomorrow."

Baekhyun seconded, "I'll take care of them."

Junmyeon turned to Sehun who didn't say anything. Jongin looked at Sehun and then turned back to their leader, "I'll watch him." He promised.

Junmyeon gently pushed the door to Minseok and Jongdae's room open and then stepped aside. "Take a look. He's resting. He'll be fine." They all watched Jongdae from the door. He looked much better than before the doctor arrived. "He had a high fever but the IV will help him fight it." He closed the door again once everyone was satisfied that Jongdae would get better soon. "Let's go downstairs and have some dinner. We'll heat up the food Jongdae made." He knew it was probably salt in the wound, asking them to have the food Jongdae cooked for them but he didn't want it to go to waste and neither would the others.

* * *

They ate dinner in silence. Yixing looked around at everyone, getting frustrated. He could tell Junmyeon and Kyungsoo were feeling the same way. "This is ridiculous. Jongdae made this dinner for us to celebrate Sehun's birthday. At the very least you should be talking to each other. Jongdae would be pissed off if he saw you eating his food like this!"

Baekhyun took a deep breath. Yixing was right. He was the mood-maker of the group. He remembered what Jongdae said in an interview once. _Thank you for making us laugh even during the hard times, even when you're tired yourself, you still find the energy to make us all laugh._ He smiled at the memory, "Do you remember during one of our concerts, we were singing Call Me Baby but Jongdae was laughing at a joke when the song started and almost missed his part?"

Chanyeol laughed, "That's right. I had to remind him to get on stage. He was having so much fun."

Jongin nodded, "I couldn't do much because I injured my ankle but I remember the smile on his face. It was so infectious."

Junmyeon chuckled, "Sometimes he has too much fun. And usually at my expense."

"You still haven't made him laugh, have you?" Yixing asked, cheekily.

"He's laughed plenty of times around me."

" _At_ you!" They all laughed. The dinner went by quickly and was enjoyable after that. They all cleaned up before heading to their rooms.

* * *

Kyungsoo brought a plate of food to Minseok. Minseok was sitting on his bed, reading a magazine. "I got you some food." Kyungsoo whispered.

Minseok's eyes lit up at the plate. "Thank you! I'm starving."

"Yeah, sorry." Kyungsoo scratched his head, "We were reminiscing down there."

Minseok nodded, grinning around the food, "I could hear you."

"Were we too loud?" Kyungsoo looked over at Jongdae. "Did we wake him?"

Minseok waved away his worry. "No. He's out from the sedatives."

Kyungsoo crept over and felt Jongdae's forehead. He winced at the heat there. "He's still hot."

"It hasn't been that long, Kyungsoo. Stop worrying and go relax." Minseok told him.

Kyungsoo hesitated, "Are you going to be okay? I'm guessing you didn't get that much sleep last night."

"Actually, he wasn't this sick last night so I did get my sleep. Stop making excuses to stay and go back to your room." Minseok could already feel a night of no rest and it wasn't going to be just because of Jongdae.

"Okay, but get me if you need anything." Kyungsoo made Minseok promise before leaving.

* * *

 **Half past 2…**

Minseok rubbed Jongdae's back as he coughed. It started about five minutes ago and the coughing fit didn't sound like it was going to let up. "I thought the meds were supposed to take care of this. What's the point of a sedative and IV if the coughing keeps you up." He winced at the sound coming from his friend's chest. Coughing was supposed to be a good thing. It was your body attempting to rid the chest of congestion but it wasn't good for rest or breathing.

Jongdae felt as if his lungs were going to come up with each cough. He could barely take breaths between the coughs and his abdominal muscles were cramping. In summary, he was miserable and in pain.

Minseok looked up at the sound of his door creaking open. It was Baekhyun.

Baekhyun let out a long breath at how miserable Jongdae looked; sitting up on the bed, doubled over. Minseok was rubbing his back, trying to sooth his breathing. Baekhyun held up a small jar, "Tiger balm."

Minseok smiled and got up to sit in front of Jongdae, giving Baekhyun his spot. Baekhyun's eyes widened. He was only coming in here to give Minseok the ointment. He didn't want to stay long in case his presence made Jongdae uncomfortable. "What are you waiting for?" Minseok asked him, "Any longer and he's going to cough out his lungs."

Baekhyun hesitantly sat on the bed. Minseok lifted Jongdae's shirt and held it up for Baekhyun to apply the tiger balm. Baekhyun rubbed his hands together with the ointment before rubbing his warm hands over Jongdae's back. Soothingly, his hands massaged to tiger balm into the skin.

After another minute of violently hacking, Jongdae felt his chest open up. It was getting easier to breathe. "Take slow breaths, Jongdae." It was Minseok.

Jongdae lifted his head to find Minseok smiling at him. "Why are you always so happy?" He croaked. He frowned at the chuckle from behind him. He tilted his head, "How do you laugh without opening your mouth?" Baekhyun burst out laughing this time. Jongdae was too fevered and exhausted to work out that Minseok wasn't the one rubbing his back and hence there had to be another person in the room. Baekhyun kept rubbing his back through the laughing. It felt really good. Minseok giggled when Jongdae finally realised he wasn't the one laughing or soothing his cough. He turned around to find Baekhyun, who quickly took his hand back and grabbed a tissue to wipe off the balm.

Baekhyun's smile faded, feeling awkward under Jongdae's gaze, "Um…I'll leave you to rest." He stood up but was grabbed by the arm and pulled back onto the bed.

"Don't go." Jongdae begged him, "I miss you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to forget."

"Aw…Jongdae…" Baekhyun pulled his friend into his arms, hugging him protectively, "I know. I'm sorry." He sighed, "Why did you have to get sick?" He knew this situation was dragging out because Jongdae wasn't well. They would've resolved it this morning if Jongdae wasn't so exhausted. Baekhyun rested his chin on Jongdae's head while rubbing his hand up and down Jongdae's arm. "I'm sorry."

Jongdae worried when he heard a hitch in Baekhyun's breathing. He struggled until he got his arms out and wrapped them around Baekhyun, "What's wrong?"

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and smiled. Minseok was grinning. Even as sick as he was, Jongdae still managed to find a reason to worry about another member. "Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep." He was surprised when Jongdae snuggled in further, pushing him against the pillow. "What…I didn't mean on me."

Minseok got up, looking very happy and satisfied. His expressive eyes looked to his bed and then back to Baekhyun, "Looks like I will be getting some sleep now. Don't wake him up." He warned before jumping into his own bed.

"Wait…" Baekhyun's protest was stopped by a gentle snoring. He looked down and couldn't help but smile at how peaceful Jongdae looked. There was no way he could leave the room even if he wanted to. As gently and quietly as he could, Baekhyun pulled his legs onto the bed and stretched it out under the quilt. He tucked it under Jongdae's arm as the IV line was in the way but kept his arms around his friend to keep him warm. Once he was comfortable, Baekhyun closed his eyes and listened to Jongdae's breathing. It was even and soft, lulling Baekhyun to sleep.

* * *

Minseok woke up to find them both still sleeping soundly. He tip-toed around the room, getting his things for the day and then quietly left the room. Junmyeon had just finishing rinsing his mouth when Minseok walked in. "Good morning. How's Jongdae?"

Minseok nodded, "Better I think." He grinned cheekily. "Are you done here? Why don't you go check on him yourself?"

Junmyeon narrowed his eyes at the cheeky smile, "I willllll…" He grabbed his things and dropped them off in his and Sehun's room before checking on Jongdae. His eyes widened when he opened to the door to find Baekhyun and Jongdae asleep in each other's arms. Then he pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a picture.

Baekhyun opened his bleary eyes at the sound of the camera shutter. He squinted at the person at the door until his vision cleared. "Hyung, what are you doing?" He groaned, closing his eyes again, hoping to fall back asleep.

"Nothing much." Junmyeon tucked his phone in his pocket and walked over to them. "How is he?" He whispered.

Baekhyun opened his eyes again and looked down at the man using him as a pillow, "He was a very effective heater through the night but I think the fever's gone down." He brushed back Jongdae's hair, pressing the back of his fingers against his brows, "Yeah, it's much better."

"That's good." Junmyeon looked at the empty IV bag. "Doctor will be here to take that out this morning. Do you think you can get out without waking him?"

Baekhyun didn't want to get up. He liked seeing Jongdae sleeping so soundly, "If I say no, can I stay home with him today?"

Junmyeon shook his head, "Nice try." He gestured with his fingers, "Get up."

Baekhyun sighed and slowly removed his arm and shoulder from under Jongdae's head while his other hand support it. He gently lowered Jongdae onto a pillow before pushing himself off the bed. Jongdae groaned softly, complaining about losing his pillow but kept on sleeping. "He must be exhausted to not wake at all."

"Go get ready." Junmyeon pushed Baekhyun out the door and then turned back around. He sat in the chair at Jongdae's desk, keeping an eye on him until it was time to go. He heard Jongdae coughing last night. He would have got up to help Minseok but he heard someone else walking that way. There was no point in all of them going there. Plus, he didn't want to wake Sehun. The kid still hadn't forgiven himself and took hours to fall asleep. He was worried if they didn't resolve this soon the next person to fall ill would be Sehun. Junmyeon got off his seat when he noticed Jongdae waking up. He smiled as his brother rubbed his eyes like a little boy.

Jongdae looked at the man sitting on his bed, sleepily. "Morning, Hyung." He croaked out.

Junmyeon smiled, kindly, "Are you feeling better?"

Jongdae shook his head, pouting. "My throat hurts."

"All that coughing last night wouldn't have helped either." Junmyeon winced, sympathetically. A knock at the door drew his attention.

It was Kyungsoo with a bowl of warm congee. "Good morning. You should eat something."

Junmyeon loved how he could rely on Kyungsoo to take care of the team's health. "I'll help you sit up." Jongdae groaned as he helped as much as he could. He'd never felt so weak. He tried to hold the bowl on his own but his hands wouldn't stop shaking. "Let Kyungsoo help you."

Kyungsoo slowly fed Jongdae, spoon by spoon, "I've never seen you this sick."

Jongdae savoured the warm congee in his mouth before swallowing, "I don't think I've ever been this sick in my whole life." He groaned, "I don't like it."

Kyungsoo chuckled, "Me neither."

Jongdae felt a lot better after the bowl of warm congee, "Thanks, Kyungsoo."

"You're welcome. Think of it as an apology for not turning up the other night." Kyungsoo smiled, sadly at him, "The food was great."

"He had an excuse though. He was called by the production company for a last-minute read-through of the script." Junmyeon knew Kyungso wouldn't explain himself so he did it for him.

Jongdae's eyes widened, "Then why are you apologising. It's not your fault. Anyway, I'm the one who missed Sehun midnight drinks."

Junmyeon sighed, "You and he are a pair." He got up and pointed at Jongdae, "Don't get out of this bed unless you're going to the bathroom." Jongdae just stuck his tongue out at him.

Kyungsoo laughed, "Rest or I'll put you in a head lock."

Jongdae pouted, "No sympathy for the sick. You guys are heartless." And just to prove it, Junmyeon and Kyungsoo walked out and closed the door. Jongdae stifled a cough in his arm and groaned. "I'm already bored."

* * *

It was a day of interviews and then practice until late into the night again. No member of EXO was in the mood to have fun with the DJs but as always, they were respectful. Sehun barely talked and when he was asked questions he answered with one or two words. Minwook, the manager with them, was in the room and glared at him to try harder. He was warned that he had to talk at their next interview. Sehun nodded. He was young and was still quite moody. The fans knew this and accepted it. Jongin didn't talk much either but when he did he was more animated than Sehun. Chanyeol and Baekhyun tried to keep the mood up but they were affected by Jongdae as well.

* * *

Junmyeon sighed as he listened to their interviews during his lunch break. He had asked Tak Youngjun to change up the arrangement and allow him and Kyungsoo to go with Sehun and Jongin but was told it was too late. Everyone at the KBS radio station were looking forward to hearing from the cheekiest members of EXO. KBS was their last interview and the one everyone was waiting for. He hoped the boys pulled themselves together.

* * *

The doctor came to take out the IV. He was happy with the improvement he saw and Jongdae was glad to have the needle out of his hand. He deemed Jongdae to be on the mend and left only instructions to rest for the next two days and finish his antibiotics. Jongdae was about to take his medicine when he remembered his friends were scheduled for a radio interview. He grabbed his computer and entered the KBS website. He liked these viewable radio interviews. Hyunkyun popped his head in. "Have you taken your medicine?"

"After this." Jongdae put on his headphones, "If I take them now, I'll fall asleep during their interview." Hyunkyun frowned and walked in to see what Jongdae was talking about. He smirked at the boys on the screen. "You'd think you've seen enough of each other by now. Make sure you take your medicine." He ordered before leaving but Jongdae was already too immersed in the radio show.

Jongdae watched the boys take their places. He could see Jongin trying to get Sehun to cheer up but the maknae just put his headphones on, ignoring his friend's attempts to get him to talk to everyone. Jongdae sighed, "This is not going to go well." _And it's my fault._

* * *

 **KBS Radio Station...**

"Ooohhh…It's so nice to have such handsome young men in the studio. I think more female workers turned up today even though it was their day off." The female host teased. "Firstly, I know everyone knows you, but could you please introduce yourself?"

"Ne!" Baekhyun started, "Annyeonghaseyo, EXO Baekhyun imnida."

"Annyeonghaseyo, EXO Chanyeol imnida."

"Annyeonghaseyo, EXO Kai imnida."

"Annyeonghaseyo, EXO Sehun imnida."

The female host seemed to notice something was wrong with this normally, excitable bunch of boys. "Ye…we have four of the nine EXO members in the studio today. I don't want to alarm the fans but they seem a little tired."

* * *

Jongdae coughed as he watched the screen. They weren't tired. They just weren't in the mood to do any interviews. He wished he could do something for them. This was his fault. It was so awkward between them right now.

* * *

They were halfway through the interview and the host was getting tired as she tried to get the boys to pipe up. She noticed Sehun fidgeting with a pendant around his neck and decided to ditch the next half of the show and go with the flow. Maybe she can still salvage this. The song ended and the host spoke, "That was a song from EXO's EX'Act album called Lucky One." She giggled, "I'm feeling like the lucky one right now, to be sitting in front of four handsome young men but I feel like there is something on your minds today. Sehun-ssi, I noticed a pendant around your neck. I know it was your birthday this week. Was that a birthday present?" Sehun was shocked at the question. It wasn't on their list of questions.

Jongin answered for him,"Ne…it was a present." He nudged Sehun to elaborate.

Sehun nodded, "Ne, it was a present from Jong…Chen hyung."

* * *

Jongdae was surprised. He didn't think Sehun had opened the box let alone wear it. He watched the youngest stutter. He hated seeing Sehun so uncomfortable. Usually, if they were all there, someone would have jumped in to help him but none of them were themselves today either. "Come on, Baekhyun. Help him." He whispered at the screen.

* * *

"Hyung gave it to me on the morning of my birthday." Sehun started tearing up. "But I was angry at him so I didn't open it."

"Wae?" Straight away the host knew she did the right thing. The ratings would go through the roof. A rift amongst the members!

* * *

Jongdae gasped at the screen, setting off a coughing fit. He didn't think Sehun would be angry enough to tell the whole of Korea that he forgot his birthday.

* * *

Jongin pulled at Sehun's shirt, shocked at what he was doing but the boy ignored him. "He wasn't angry." Baekhyun amended, "Just sulky. He's our maknae. He likes to act aegyo with us." He could see their manager fuming in the chair near the door.

"Aniyeo, I was angry." Sehun denied, "He didn't come to have drinks with us after midnight. I was disappointed." Sehun told the host. "He gave me this pendant. 37.5207° N, 127.1215° E. Do you know where that is? 03312012170348. Do you know what it means?" Sehun asked his friends, who didn't know about the pendant and what sounded like a bunch of random letters and numbers. "Seoul Olympic Park. March 31, 2012, five oh three pm and 48 seconds."

Chanyeol's eyes widened, "Our debut venue."

"And the time and date." Jongin smiled at the pendant. He knew it was Jongdae's present to Sehun but he wasn't told the meaning behind it.

Sehun nodded, "Ne. I love being a part of EXO. It's my greatest achievement. That's why I pray every night for us to last forever. I pray for your health and happiness. Chen knows I will never take this time together for granted. That's why he gave me this charm."

* * *

Jongdae smiled at the screen, tears in his eyes from Sehun's words as well as the coughing. "You got my message." He frowned when Sehun started crying.

" _I want us to last forever but I'm the one who's causing conflict!"_ He watched as Jongin pulled Sehun into his arms.

The host quickly went to another song so the team could pull themselves together. He watched as the four of them left the studio to leave the eyes of the camera.

Jongdae worried for the members. He tried to dial their numbers but he knew the rule. They were supposed to turn off their phones during a radio interview. The incessant coughing was made worse by his worry now and refused to give him a break.

* * *

The four members sat outside the studio. Minwook was arguing with the host for changing the questions. Jongin rubbed Sehun's back as he sat with his head in his hands.

"Minwook hyung looks ready to kill sunbae." Chanyeol watched their heated argument nervously.

Baekhyun sighed in frustration. The interviews were getting worse as the day went by. "Sehun, I know you feel bad but you can't just blurt that out."

"Wae? She asked. I answered. Jongdae hyung bought me this. I know the meaning, why can't I tell everyone?!" Sehun argued childishly.

"Because you're trying to make yourself look bad. You can't do that. It's EXO's image as well. The managers are going to kill us!" Baekhyun messed up his hair in frustration. "Just don't talk about it anymore when we get back in there."

Sehun nodded, knowing it wasn't just him that he was affecting.

* * *

Jongdae dialled the only number he knew he could definitely get through. He waited to get connected. The stress of it all was causing his cough to worsen. "Yeobeoseyo…"

* * *

When they were back in the studio, the host moved onto the next segment which was to answer calls from fans. They weren't looking forward to it but so far, the questions and comments online were only to comfort Sehun or ask if he was okay. There were also comments saying how thoughtful Jongdae was.

"Ne. Chen is a very kind and considerate person. He doesn't always have drinks with us but when the younger members go out, he goes with them because he worries about them." Baekhyun replied to the comment. "He's a really good friend."

"Oh, we have a caller." Baekhyun winced. This was going to be hard. They usually only let through the ones they believed would ask hard questions and raise ratings. It was a male who spoke which surprised them. "Anneyeongseyo!" The host greeted, "What's your name?"

" _J.D inmida."_ The caller answered, followed by a cough. The team didn't make the connection because they just wanted this over with.

"Anneyeongseyo!" They greeted together.

"J.D, what would you like to ask EXO today?"

" _There's a song that I really like because of the words."_ It could be heard that J.D was having trouble talking through his cough.

"Ne."

" _3.6.5."_ A few stifled coughs could be heard before J.D continued. _"_ _Can you tell me the meaning behind the song?"_

Chanyeol answered automatically because he usually introduced this song, "It's about a boy who promises to always be there for the girl he loves every day."

"Ah…3.6.5 meaning 365 days of the year." The host nodded, "It is a great song. J.D, does that answer your question?"

" _Aniyeo,"_ J.D's stopped talking to let out a couple of harsh coughs. _"Does it only apply to a man and woman? Can it be for a good friend or family member?"_

Baekhyun nodded, "I guess so." He wondered why the radio station was letting this guy talk for so long. His wasn't even that interesting and he was clearly sick. Maybe they were trying to appease their manager by not letting through the tough questions.

" _Can I give you an example of what this song means to me?"_ J.D asked, his coughing seeming to calm a little.

"Ne." The host answer, again, making Baekhyun curious about the caller.

" _I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days."_ Clearly, Baekhyun thought to himself. _"I had a fever and I couldn't stop coughing."_ Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun. He was getting a sense of familiarity as well now. _"I didn't need to say anything to my friends. They took care of me from the moment I opened my eyes. That's what this song means to me. No matter what, no matter where, no matter when, my friends will always be here for me."_

Jongin smiled, "I like that." He nodded.

* * *

 **Back at SM Entertainment…**

Minseok, Junmyeon, Yixing and Kyungsoo were at the studio. They had arrived in time to watch the second half of the KBS interview. They got worried when Sehun started crying and wanted to go straight over there but they could only watch. Minseok smiled as soon as the caller, J.D, spoke. He recognised the voice straight away despite the croakiness. "Kim Jongdae." Yixing frowned at him. "Can't you guys recognise his voice?"

They listened carefully. "You're right!" Kyungsoo heard it. "It's Jongdae."

"What's he doing?" Yixing winced at the coughing.

Junmyeon smiled, "He's being their guardian angel."

They smiled at Jongdae's interpretation of the song. It gave Junmyeon an idea. He logged himself onto the KBS website and uploaded a picture with the caption; _example of 3.6.5,_ went back to watching the show, grinning cheekily.

"What did you just do?" Yixing asked him.

Junmyeon shook his head, chuckling, "You'll see in a moment."

* * *

 **KBS…**

" _Sehun,"_ Sehun frown at the informal tone the caller used, as if he's known him for a while, _"Take your pendant for example. Could it be a reminder that from the moment you stepped onto that stage, a pact was made by every member of EXO to support and take care of one another?"_

Sehun nodded, mumbling to himself, "No matter what, no matter where, no matter when…"

Baekhun suddenly jumped out of his seat, pulling out his headphones. "Jongdae!"

* * *

 **SM…**

Minseok burst out laughing when Baekhyun finally worked out who J.D was. "Talk about slow." He shook his head, grinning. He took his phone out and sent Jongdae a message; _enough angel work and get back to bed. You're sounding worse._

* * *

Jongdae chuckled at the screen through his coughing when the members looked around, confused and shocked. "Ne…you boys suck at interviews when I'm not around." He croaked, when his phone beeped. He took it away from his ear to read the message, smiling. It was from Minseok. He quickly typed back; _in a minute._

* * *

Baekhyun dropped back into his seat when he finally got over the shock. "You should be resting!" Chanyeol accused his friend while Baekhyun got himself set up again.

"Chen hyung." Jongin chuckled, "EXO's Chen fairy. You're always watching over us; maknaes."

" _Always."_ Jongdae coughed, _"Someone needs to keep you out of trouble."_

"You need to get off the phone and sleep. Your coughing is still bad." Baekhyun was finally able to talk. Now he knew why the host allowed the call to go for so long. "What did the doctor say?"

" _Doctor says I'm getting better. He took the IV out."_ Baekhyun smiled at the news, relieved Jongdae was over the worst of the cold. _"I'll be fine. You boys, on the other hand are in trouble! What are you doing? I was going to fall asleep in the first half of the interview."_ Jongdae teased. _"Noona, you should tell them off during the breaks."_

"Aniyeo, they're too cute to scold."

Jongdae frowned when Sehun stayed quiet, _"Sehun, have you fallen asleep?"_

Sehun sniffed, "Ani…" He wiped at his tears, "Miande, hyung."

* * *

"Sehun." Jongdae sighed, "I called to make you feel better, not cry!" He wanted to reach through the screen to hug him. Instead, he did what he did best, despite his sore throat and croaky voice. _"3-6-5 nan maeil achim jamdeun neol kkaeumyeo harul sijakhae"_

* * *

Sehun's head came up at the song. Despite the croakiness, Jongdae's voice was still sweet.

" _3-6-5 1bun choui teumdo eobseul mankeum hamkke hal geoya_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 ne soneul japgo_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 nochi anheulge."_ Jongdae stopped singing when a coughing fit hit him again.

Baekhyun worried but knew Jongdae had a message to get through to Sehun. He nudged Chanyeol and continued the song.

" _Sori naeeo se beon utgo yeoseot gogui norael deureo_

" _Daseot sigan jago namyeon da byeolgeo anin ge doel geoya_

" _Nan neoreul jikineun jeo bichui gisacheoreom_

Soon they were all singing, including the members at SM Entertainment.

* * *

Jongdae smiled at the scene on the screen. The four were singing, arm in arm.

" _3-6-5 neoui apeseo ojik neoreul iyuro geomeul hwidulleo_

" _3-6-5 machi neol wihae taeeonan geot gateun maeireul salge_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 eotteon apeumdo_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 neol bikkyeogage_

" _Neol siheomhal unmyeongdeuri nunmureul bureul ttae_

" _Eonjerado nan gijeokcheoreom ne ape natanalge_

" _3-6-5 neoui dwieseo jeoldae neoreul wihan maeireul salge_

" _3-6-5 machi neol wihae taeeonan geot gateun harul chaeumyeo_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 eotteon apeumdo_

" _Oh oh oh oh- 3-6-5 neol bikkyeogage_

" _3-6-5 neoreul jikilge."_

Minwook sighed in relief. He wasn't going to get fired. The interview was salvaged but he did call Hyunkyun to tell the guy to get Jongdae off the phone and resting.

"Wow…a beautiful performance by EXO. Chen-ssi, thank you for calling but we have a lot of messages coming through telling us to let you go so you can rest." The host was worried herself, "We don't want your fans to worry so please rest and get better soon."

" _Ne. Gom sam hamnida."_ Jongdae croaked.

"Go to sleep, Jongdae. We'll see you tonight." Baekhyun ordered.

Jongdae was about to hang up when the hostess's surprised voice was heard.

"Oh, it looks like we have one more surprise to share with our viewers and this is a good one." She smiled at Baekhyun. Baekhyun narrowed his eyes but still smiled because it was polite. "We have a photo here that represents 3.6.5." The photo Junmyeon took of Baekhyun and Jongdae sleeping in each other's arms came up on the screens.

"What?!"

" _How?"_ Jongdae stared at the screen in horror, setting off another coughing fit.

"Do you want to explain, Baekhyun-ssi?"

* * *

 **SM...**

The four members at the studio were almost rolling around laughing. "That's what you sent!" Yixing asked, breathlessly. Junmyeon only nodded, unable to voice a reply through his laughter. "They're going to kill you!"

* * *

 **KBS...**

"Aaahhh…" Baekhyun scratched his head. "It's not what it looks like. Jongdae's coughing would stop last night so I rubbed tiger balm on his back. Xiumin hyung was there as well!" He quickly added, in case the fans starting going down the wrong path.

* * *

Jongdae's coughing eased a little at what Baekhyun was saying. He thought he had dreamed that Baekhyun had come into the room. "It was you." He whispered into the phone, unknowingly.

* * *

Baekhyun smiled at the soft whisper, "Ne, it was me. Then you wouldn't let me go and used me as a pillow. It was the first time you were sleeping so comfortably so I didn't want to wake you. You slept right through til morning." His expression turned mockingly deadly, "I think I know who sent that." He remembered who was at the door when he woke up. "I will get him somehow."

* * *

"You're in trouble." Minseok sang to Junmyeon who just nodded. It was worth it.

* * *

 _"Thank you, Baekhyun."_ Jongdae said, sincerely. He was wrong. Nobody was angry at him. They just needed to talk.

"You're welcome. Now get off the phone and rest." Baekhyun ordered.

* * *

Hyunkyun stormed into the room and found Jongdae bent over, coughing. He shook his head, shutting the laptop and checking if he was still on the line. He wasn't. "Take all your meds and go to sleep, otherwise I will take all the electronics in your room…including Minseok's." He threatened the way a parent would to their son. He poured out the cough medicine for Jongdae and shook out two antibiotics.

Jongdae groaned, feeling so much worse and yet so much better since the doctor left. He didn't complain as his manager spoon-fed him his medicine. "Thanks."

Hyunkyun shook his head, "You and those boys at KBS are going to take ten years off our lives." He smiled when he realised Jongdae was already dead to the world.

* * *

The team rushed home after a short practice. After listening to the radio station, their boss gave them time off to spend with Jongdae. There was one thing they wanted to do with Jongdae. It's very late and Jongdae probably shouldn't be up for too long, but if they didn't do it today, then it would have to go to waste.

In the car, Junmyeon had called their favourite restaurant to order their dinner and have it delivered. It was a massive order and it was rare for them to eat together like this but Jongdae had planned a dinner for them that they had missed, so this was going to make up for that missed opportunity. It would also be a thank you to Jongdae for always taking care of their members.

* * *

Jongdae was still asleep when they arrived home. The food would be arriving soon. They got straight into setting up the table with their good plates. It was something else they never did. Nobody liked cleaning but this was going to be a good night for them. Jongdae managed to do all this on his own. There were eight of them tonight.

* * *

Minseok went up to the room to see if Jongdae was ready to wake up. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook his friend's shoulder. "Jongdae." He whispered.

Jongdae's brow furrowed before he opened his eyes, looking at Minseok blearily. "Hyung?" He croaked as he looked at his clock. It read; 7.00. "You're back early."

Minseok nodded. "Yeah, we all are. Are you okay to get up for some dinner?" Jongdae's stomach growled at the word, 'dinner', making Minseok chuckle. He nudged his head towards the door. "Come on. The others are waiting."

* * *

Jongdae's eyes widened at the fairy lights around the room. It was a scene from a movie. The living room was transformed into a fantasy. The table was decorated with candles while the lights were dimmed. But best of all were his friends, smiling and happy. Sehun walked up to him and wrapped his arms around him, "You're always taking care of me. Thank you."

"Always." Jongdae savoured the feeling of everything returning to the way it was. They were no longer awkward. He growled when he started coughing. If he could just get rid of this stupid cold, then everything will be perfect again.

Junmyeon walked over and wrapped his arm around Jongdae's shoulder, "Let's have dinner. I promised Hyunkyun that we wouldn't keep you up too late."

Jongdae smiled and took his seat next to Minseok. "Do you like it?" His best friend asked him.

Jongdae nodded, "I love it. The food smells great."

"It's not as good as yours but it'll do for today." Jongin smiled.

Jongdae could tell he was serious but he couldn't help but laugh. "I dare you to go tell our favourite chef that."

Jongin grinned cheekily, "I will! I'll tell him his food doesn't compare to the love you put into your cooking."

"Ewwww!" Chanyeol complained, "You're so corny!"

"Yeah, Jongin, don't say things like that. It sounds wrong coming from you." Baekhyun gave Jongdae his sweetest smile, "It's true though and coming from me, it's fine."

Jongdae laughed, "You're all corny!" He tried to stifle his cough in his sleeves.

"Let's start." Minseok wanted to get Jongdae back to bed, early, "We still have the cake to cut."

Jongdae frowned. _Cake? Hmmm…they really are re-doing Sehun's birthday dinner._ He enjoyed the meal, but his stomach didn't let him eat too much. It didn't matter though because he enjoyed the company. After dinner, Baekhyun went to the fridge and pulled out a cake. Jongdae's eyes widened at the dodgy cake he had made for Sehun. "I don't think eating that is a good idea."

"Nonsense!" Chanyeol waved his hand at him. "It's only been two days. Cakes last longer than that." They went quiet at the odd-looking cake.

"What is it supposed to be?" Baekhyun tilted his head side ways to look at it at another angle. "A person?" Jongdae slapped his hand away, laughing. "What is it then?"

Jongdae was confused himself, "It was a heart when I put it in the oven."

Sehun turned it around and around but he couldn't see it. "How? Where?"

Jongdae stood and turned it around and around himself. He pointed to parts of it but even he couldn't figure it out. He shrugged, "Human heart?"

They burst out laughing at that. If the creator couldn't figure it out, there was no point trying. "Let's just cut it." Junmyeon suggested. "Say something." He handed Sehun the knife.

Sehun smiled, "37.5207° N, 127.1215° E. 03312017170348." He looked up at Jongdae and added, "3.6.5."

Jongdae smiled and nodded, "Ne." He mouthed.

"Jongdae!" Baekhyun walked around the table and tugged on Jongdae's arm, swinging it and giving his best aegyo expression, "I want one for my birthday too." He frowned when Jongdae's face looked suspicious. He stopped acting. "You got one for all of us, didn't you?"

Jongdae shrugged, "It meant I had the rest of the year covered."

Minseok narrowed his eyes, "I'm touched…I think?"

Jongdae smiled, "It was a defining moment for all of us. We didn't know how the world would see us, but we took that step together and we'll take every step together until we can't do it anymore."

Yixing hugged him from behind, "You're full of inspiration today. Mei yi bu, wo men yiqi zhou." _Each step, we take together._

Jongdae turned to him, "If I hear those words in your song, I expect royalty."

"Ne!" Yixing laughed, pushing himself off his friend.

Chanyeol looked around cheekily, "First one to find it doesn't have to wash up today!" He rushed up the steps to Jongdae and Minseok's room.

"Hey, don't mess up our room!" Jongdae called and then started coughing. Minseok rubbed his back. He was the only one who didn't run up. "Aren't you going?"

Minseok shook his head, "I was going to clean up anyways. You know me." He was referring to his cleanliness. Jongdae chuckled. "I'm proud of you." Minseok told him. Jongdae smiled shyly. "I think you gained about 100,000 or so fans today."

Jongdae shook his head laughing quietly, "Sehun did. Fan loves seeing the human side of us." He jumped when a yell accompanied by a herd of elephants returned to the living room.

"I found it!" It was Jongin holding his box. The others were holding theirs. The pendants were identical. Kyungsoo and Junmyeon were holding two in their hands. Junmyeon gave one to Minseok.

Kyungsoo smiled at Jongdae and handed him the other box. "I take it you got one for yourself."

Jongdae opened the box, grinning. "Of course, I can't leave myself out of the pact."

They helped each other put on the pendants. "What gave you this idea?" Chanyeol smiled at the warm metal resting on all their chests. It looked good on them.

Jongdae shrugged, "I saw it on the internet. You put the GPS coordinates of a special place. I was going to choose all your home addresses." He smiled, "You know, carry your home with you no matter where you are."

"That's a nice idea too." Yixing nodded, approvingly.

"Yeah, but then I remembered how observant our fans are. Someone is going to zoom in on it and then our families will have to move." They burst out laughing at that. It was true. They had very smart fans.

"Then I thought about what was the most important part of our lives. I tried to remember what you've told me before it hit me. There was one moment that was defining for all of us." Jongdae fingered his pendant. "And so here it is!" He gave a shy smile when he found all of them looking at him. He looked at the cake and turned their attention to it. "We should eat the cake. I'm sure it tastes better than it looks." Sehun nodded, but he already knew how it tasted.

Jongdae winced as they each took a spoonful of the cake. Baekhyun's eyes widened and nodded slowly. He held his thumb up, indicating his approval. Jongdae looked around, watching them eat his cake with way too much effort. "Is it good?" He asked hesitantly. They all nodded their heads. Jongdae frowned and put a small piece in his mouth. It immediately came right back out. "What is wrong with you guys? It's bitter!" His brothers kept eating. "Stop eating!" He pulled away Minseok's plate and spoon. "You're going to get a stomach ache!"

Minseok pulled it back, "It's fine."

"It's not!" Jongdae watched in horror as they all shovelled the last of the cake into their mouths and washed it down with beer. He was in awe of what they did. "You're all crazy."

Sehun laughed as he wiped his mouth. "It was sweet."

"Liar!" Jongdae countered, coughing.

"You made it. It was sweet!" Sehun rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Aw…you're so corny, Sehun!" Baekhyun tickled under his chin with his finger only for it to be slapped away.

"If you all get food poisoning…"

"We get another day off!" Chanyeol cheered, earning him a slap over the head from Junmyeon. "Wae?!"

"We are not going to get food poisoning." Junmyeon rolled his eyes. He took another swig of the beer to get rid of the taste in his mouth. "It was a little bitter."

"Then why did you finish it?" Jongdae laughed at their expressions as they all tried to get rid of the taste.

Minseok reached over and massaged his shoulder, "Do you have to ask? You spent hours in this kitchen cooking. We weren't going to waste the effort and love you put into it."

It was Jongdae's turn to be embarrassed, "Even a shapeless, bitter…" He screwed up his nose at the only piece of cake left, "whatever." They burst out laughing at Jongdae's expression and description.

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes the piece of cake. "We said we wouldn't waste even a little."

Jongdae shook his head, nervously at the looks the others were giving him, "No."

"Yes." Chanyeol looked at him, slowly reaching for the cake.

"I'm not eating it." Jongdae tried to push his chair back but Jongin snuck behind him. He was trapped between Minseok and Yixing. "Traitor." He accused his roommate. Minseok just giggled. "It's disgusting." Jongdae whined and then burst into a coughing fit.

Chanyeol dropped back into his seat, pouting. "Well I can't shove this into his mouth now, can I?"

Jongdae laughed through his coughing when he saw what Baekhyun and Sehun was up to. Chanyeol's calls were muffled as the cake was shoved in his face. "Glad you didn't waste it." Jongdae coughed.

Minseok let the laughter go on for another ten minutes, all the while watching Jongdae closely. A layer of shine covered Jongdae's skin, telling Minseok it was time to get Jongdae to bed. "Time to call it a night. We promised Hyunkyun hyung that we wouldn't let you stay up too late."

Jongdae groaned, "I'm not a ten-year-old at a sleepover."

"No, but you are running a fever and that cough is going to get worse if you don't rest." Minseok pushed his chair out but was stopped by Jongin.

"I'll take him to his room." Jongin grinned cheekily, "You all have to wash up."

* * *

Jongin waited for Jongdae to take his meds and get under the cover before he sat down on the bed. Jongdae frowned at him. "Are you going to wait for me to fall asleep? I'm not a baby." He grinned.

Jongin shook his head and fingered his pendant, "Thank you for this and thank you for calling the station. I'm sorry for missing dinner."

Jongdae shook his head at the apology, "It's water under the bridge."

"You let us get away with too much." Jongin sighed, "And I know it's water under the bridge but I needed to apologise." Jongdae nodded, "I love you."

"Saranghae."

Jongin reached over and turned off Jongdae's light, "Good night, hyung."

"Good night."

* * *

Chanyeol stayed in the room in place of Minseok. He asked Minseok to swap rooms for one night because he wanted to watch over Jongdae. Everyone apologised but him. _Too bad he doesn't know what's most important to Sehun…being together._ That's what he said to Jongdae the morning of Sehun's birthday. The expression on Jongdae's face was clear in his mind. He hurt his brother with those words. "I'm sorry." Chanyeol pressed the back of his fingers against Jongdae's brow. He was still too warm. The medicine hadn't kicked in yet. He laid a cooling pad across his forehead, smiling at the sigh of relief from his sick friend.

* * *

Chanyeol was drifting off to sleep when Jongdae started coughing, waking himself up. "Jongdae." He helped Jongdae sit up to ease the cough.

Jongdae looked up at him when the wracking finally stopped. "Chanyeol?"

"Ne." Chanyeol picked up Baekhyun's tiger balm and rubbed it between his hands. He massaged the ointment into Jongdae's back. "How is that?"

Jongdae leaned against his friend, nodding at the relief of the warm tiger balm and his friend's gentle massage. "Thanks. Where's hyung?"

"He's sleeping in my room. Do you want me to get him?" Chanyeol asked, thinking he wanted Minseok to take care of him instead.

"Aniyeo, I was only wondering." Jongdae closed his eyes. "Are you okay?" He could sense that Chanyeol wanted to say something but was hesitant.

Chanyeol chuckled, "How do you know us so well?"

Jongdae smiled, "We all know each other inside out. We're family."

"I don't think I know you well enough." Chanyeol said, sadly.

Jongdae frowned and pushed himself up so he could see Chanyeol's face. "Of course, you do."

"I wouldn't have said what I did, if I really knew you."

Jongdae smiled, "You were angry for Sehun. He's our baby brother. We have a tendency to protect him."

"Still…"

"Just apologise and get it over with." Jongdae ordered. "I want to sleep." Chanyeol frowned at the sudden change in tone. "Like I told Jongin; it's water under the bridge, but you need to apologise, go ahead."

Chanyeol nodded. He did need to apologise. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now let's sleep." Jongdae grinned.

Chanyeol chuckled, "You're too kind for your own good." He helped Jongdae lay back before going to sleep himself, feeling lighter.

* * *

 **Two days later…**

Jongdae sat in the Cultwo studio with the entire team. He was overwhelmed with the fans outside the studio. The guards were doubled and Korean police surrounded the building. "I think this is a record turn-up at this studio. To tell you the truth, I'm a little worried about the structure of this building." The host joked as he introduced their guest. "Everyone, please welcome to the studio, EXO!"

The crowd outside screamed so loud, they could barely hear their own introduction. For the first time, the host had to warn the fans outside, "I'm sorry, but if you are outside, you need to calm yourself otherwise we may need to cancel this broadcast for safety reasons."

"Ne," Junmyeon spoke, "We want everyone to be safe so please listen to our host and the guards outside."

"There you go, you heard it from Suho, leader of EXO, please mind the lines."

The crowd calmed down at that. The group talked about their album and their promotional activities as well as their upcoming concert tour. They thanked their fans and then the time was ended with something everyone wanted to hear. "Chen, I noticed all of you wearing a pendant." The crowd cheered.

Jongdae chuckled, embarrassed that it had to be brought up, "Ne."

"Chen bought it for all of us." Chanyeol told them, proudly. He loved boasting about how close they were. It was something to be proud of.

"Ne, there is a story behind it but I think you've all heard it already." Baekhyun grinned at the cheer as he hugged Jongdae from behind.

"I don't think the fans will ever get sick of hearing it again. The video on youtube has been viewed over ten million times." The host growled, "Why couldn't you do that here?"

Sehun laughed, "It wasn't planned."

"Tell us the meaning behind the pendant again and I will forgive you." The host negotiated.

The team laughed and nodded. "It is a promise." Junmyeon started.

"From the moment we stepped onto the stage." Minseok continued.

"On the 31st of March, 2012." Yixing added.

"At five oh three pm and 48 seconds." Kyungsoo smiled.

"At the Seoul Olympic Park Stadium!" Baekhyun cheered getting a louder cheer from their fans.

"We took that first step together!" Chanyeol got teary.

"And we'll take every step together!" Jongin.

"3.6.5!" Sehun swung his arm around Jongin.

"That is our promise to each other." Jongdae ended how they started. The team cheered and hugged each other.

"And we will end with their song! 3.6.5!"

Junmyeon finished in their usual fashion, "Hana, dul, set! We are…"

"ONE!"

 **The End**


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